A Question of Time
by Beth0987
Summary: Calleigh tries to get Horatio to say those magic words. NOT romance.


Please R+R!

Disclaimer: Belongs to whoever CSI belongs to. I think it's CBS, but I can't be bothered to look it up.

Summary: Calleigh tries to get Horatio to say those magic words. Sounds shippy, but really isn't.

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"No way!" Eric stared at Calleigh in disbelief. "There is absolutely no chance that would work. None,"

"Why not?" Calleigh tucked the case file she was carrying under her arm and counted the reasons on her fingers. "One, his watch broke last week,"

"How do you know that?"

"They'd just pulled a car out of the river, and when he opened the trunk all this water came out. Turns out it wasn't water-resistant,"

"And you had absolutely nothing to do with this accident,"

"Of course not!" Calleigh glared at Eric, pretending to be angry. "How dare you suggest I'd do something like that!"

Eric looked at her.

"OK, maybe I did forget to warn him… But the point is, it's broken and he still hasn't got a new one,"

"And your other reasons?"

"Two, he calls Ryan Mr Wolfe all the time. Three…" Calleigh looked blank for a second. "I haven't got a three,"

"I still don't think you can do it,"

Calleigh grinned. "Wanna bet?"

"Fine. Ten dollars says you can't,"

"You're on,"

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Calleigh had to wait two days until she was on a case with Ryan and Horatio. Both mornings she had come into work expecting to see a shiny new watch on Horatio's wrist and all her careful planning going to waste, but so far she'd been lucky.

As they reached the crime scene she slid off her own watch and put it in her pocket. She tried to act as normally as possible, but couldn't help glancing sideways at where Ryan and Horatio were working. Finally, Horatio came over.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm just about done," Calleigh stood up. Time to put her plan into action. "Oh no!"

"What?"

"I've got to see Alexx at 10:30! I can't believe I forgot!" She winced inwardly at how melodramatic she sounded, but Horatio seemed to buy it.

"I think you might make it… Do you have the time?"

He plan was going perfectly. She imagined the expression on Eric's face when he lost.

"No, I forgot to wear a watch this morning… I think Ryan does,"

She almost cheered as Horatio turned towards Ryan. Suddenly, one of the policemen walked past.

"It's only 9:45, ma'am," he said, pointing to his own watch.

"Oh… thank you," she said, silently screaming at him for spoiling all her careful work.

"You won't miss that meeting after all," said Horatio.

"I guess I won't," Damn. Now, on top of everything, she had to invent a reason to be at the morgue at 10:30.

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Her next chance came just outside the trace lab, where she 'accidentally' bumped into Horatio and Ryan discussing the case. She talked with them for a bit, then dropped her carefully crafted bomb.

"And what time's the autopsy scheduled for?"

"Two o'clock," Calleigh saw Horatio glance at his wrist before remembering he didn't have a watch. He turned to Calleigh, who shook her head, then to Ryan. Horatio opened his mouth…

And shut it again, walking off as if nothing had happened. After a second or two, Ryan followed him.

Calleigh looked around, wondering what could have gone so wrong. She saw the object which had destroyed her second chance of winning, and resisted the urge to throw something heavy at it. She walked away, fuming.

Whoever decided to put clocks in CSI labs should be shot.

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By the end of the day she was close to screaming with frustration. She had only seen Horatio and Ryan once since her decision that clockmakers should be murdered painfully, and the chance to talk about time again hadn't come up. She looked in her wallet to check if she had ten dollars.

She met Eric and Horatio outside the lab. He looked at her expectantly, and she shook her head. He smiled.

"Hey H, are you doing anything tonight? I've got something to celebrate," Eric asked, determined to rub it in that Calleigh had failed. Horatio looked round.

"Actually, something important has come up that I can't miss… Do you know what the time is?"

Eric shook his head.

Calleigh watched as Horatio looked for a person nearby... and Ryan was just coming out of the building.

"Hi," said Ryan, walking over to them.

"What's the time, Mr Wolfe?"

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Calleigh waited until Horatio and Ryan had left, then looked pointedly at Eric.

"I believe you owe me something…"


End file.
